Newsletter

Supporting civil society is an act of political justice

South Africa’s political system, especially at this point in time with the Gupta and state capture narrative surrounding the race ahead of the ANC’s elective conference in December, needs civil society voices like ours more than ever. Whether it is Ramaphosa, Dlamini-Zuma or a dark horse candidate, the systemic and structural factors like unemployment, impoverishment and wealth inequality won’t go away. IJR, together with the rest of civil and activist society, will continue to keep government accountable and do the hard work of healing woundedness through community building. IJR’s Executive Director, Stan Henkeman, writes on how you can lend a helping hand to help support civil society as an act of political justice.

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:35+02:0012th December 2017|News, Newsletter, Uncategorised|

According to South Africans, what [still] divides us?

Since SARB’s inception in 2003, most South Africans have indicated their preference for a united South African nation. In addition, optimism about the potential for a more unified society follows a similar trend to the desirability of greater unity. However, the IJR’s most recent South African Reconciliation Barometer (SARB) survey show that only 56,1% of South Africans agree that South Africa has made progress in reconciliation since the end of apartheid. Elnari Potgieter, SARB Project Leader in the Policy and Research programme, identifies some of the major sources of social division in South Africa.

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:35+02:0012th December 2017|News, Newsletter|

Gender Justice and Reconciliation: Honouring fellow activists for their extraordinary work

At the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, we have always found it important to acknowledge fellow activists who work tirelessly towards achieving reconciliation in South Africa. Since the year 2000, the IJR has recognised a number of individuals, communities and/or organisations that contribute towards reconciliation. This year, the theme for the Reconciliation awards was Achieving Gender Justice and Reconciliation. There are countless organisations, social movements and activists working towards achieving gender justice and reconciliation in such a way that its complexities and nuances are represented and critically discussed. Gender Dynamix is one such organisation. Jodi Williams, project officer for the Communications and Advocacy programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, writes on why Gender Dynamix was this year’s award recipient.

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:36+02:0012th December 2017|Newsletter|

Teachers as Agents of Social Change in South Africa

Research conducted by the Centre for International Teacher Education(CITE) at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) reveals that teachers in South Africa are located and navigate through starkly different contexts with various amounts of resources. Teachers, however, exercise their roles as agents of social justice and cohesion within the particular constraints of their diverse contexts and often need to disrupt inherited patterns of exclusion and injustice....

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:36+02:007th November 2017|News, Newsletter|

Challenging the erasure of historical knowledge rendering Queerness as “unAfrican” & highlighting the continued plight of African Queers

According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), 33 African countries have laws that criminalise queerness. Last month, 13 people were arrested in Tanzania and accused of “promoting homosexuality”. In countries like Mauritania..

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:36+02:007th November 2017|News, Newsletter|

Black Women and the Struggle: Marginalization, Poverty, and Patriarchy

On the 25th of October, IJR in partnership with the African Film Network hosted a screening of the documentary Winnie which was followed by a dialogue titled; Black Women and the Struggle: Marginalization, Poverty, and Patriarchy. In South Africa, the stories of Winnie Mandela, Albertina Sisulu, Charlotte Maxeke, Sibongile Khumalo, Thenjiwe Mtintso, Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, to name a few, been left out of the mainstream historical narrative that is taught to young people...

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:36+02:007th November 2017|News, Newsletter|

The Genocide of the Rohingya people: Being accustomed to injustice and the urgent need for moral leadership

The UN has referred to the crisis and forced migration of the Rohingya people as “the most urgent refugee emergency in the world” but remains the untransformed global structure, failing to take bold action yet again against another atrocity being committed, is troubling. There is a lack of decisive action on behalf of the international community in this case, which could be regarded as an extension of...

By IJR|2024-05-21T12:23:36+02:007th November 2017|News, Newsletter|